KeNHA moves to recover grabbed road reserves
Kenya National Highways Authority director general Peter Mundinia speaks during the signing of a contract between KeNHA and China State Construction Engineering Corporation for the upgrade of the Kitale-Endebbes-Suam road, on August 17, 2017 in Nairobi. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The authority on Sunday warned that it would start demolishing houses built on road reserves.
- The crack down comes amid plans by the government to expand various roads in a bid to reduce road carnage.
The Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) has embarked on a countrywide crack down to reclaim road reserves encroached by private developers.
The authority on Sunday warned that it would start demolishing houses built on road reserves.
According to KeNHA Assistant Director, Corporate Communication, Mr Charles Njogu, houses or any developments built on road reserves will be brought down if owners fail to clear them.
Mr Njogu said the agency will first give notice to owners of structures built on public land before they are demolished.
“Those who have encroached road corridors must remove structures from public land. We have embarked on a countrywide crack down on those who have encroached road reserves,” he said.
ENCROACHMENT
Mr Njogu said the government would not spare anyone found encroaching on public land.
Over the weekend, 10 houses in Nakuru’s Kiamunyi estate were demolished.
According to KeNHA, the owner of the houses had encroached on a road reserve by about 10 feet.
“We had issued notices to the private developer to demolish the houses, but he declined. We decided to bring the houses down,” he said.
However, the owner, who was left counting losses amounting to millions of shillings, has threatened to sue KeNHA.
The crack down comes amid plans by the government to expand various roads in a bid to reduce road carnage.
In Nakuru, the authority is in the process of constructing a dual carriageway in the 40km killer stretch from Sobea to Makutano in a bid to reduce crashes.
HOTSPOTS
Last year in December, the government announced that it would spend Sh500 million to construct the dual carriageway.
In January this year, KeNHA revealed that bidding for the dual carriageway had been done.
The plans also involve expansion of the stretch, where scores of people have died and many others injured in crashes.
The notorious section stretches from Sobea, Salgaa, Migaa, Sachangwan and Total Junction near Mau Summit shopping centre to Kamara and Makutano. It also includes Jolly Farm and Mkinyai areas.
Dark patches of spilled oil, broken glasses, and pieces of rubber and mangled remains of vehicles litter the section of the road.
The series of road crashes prompted the government to intervene in bid to end the carnage.
